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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAttach E - Cultural Resources ReportCULTURAL RESOURCES REPORT COVER SHEET DAHP Project Number: 2024-01-00284 (Please contact the lead agency for the project number. If associated to SEPA, please contact SEPA@dahp.wa.gov to obtain the project number before creating a new project.) Author: Colin Higashi, Jennifer Chambers, Sarah Amell Title of Report: Cultural Resource Assessment for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road Date of Report: South Culvert Replacement Project, Renton, King County, Washington March 12, 2024 County(ies): King Section: 30, 31 Township: 23N Range: 05E Quad: Renton Acres: 0.7 PDF of Report uploaded to WISAARD report module (REQUIRED) Yes Historic Property Inventory Forms to be Approved Online? Yes No Archaeological Site(s)/Isolate(s) found or amended? Yes No TCP(s) found? Yes No Replace a draft? Yes No Satisfy a DAHP Archaeological Excavation Permit requirement? Yes # No Were Human Remains Found? Yes DAHP Case # No DAHP Archaeological Site #: •Submission of PDFs into WISAARD’s report module is required. •Please be sure that any PDF submitted to WISAARD has its cover sheet, figures, graphics, appendices, attachments, correspondence, etc., compiled into a single PDF file. •Please check that the PDF displays correctly when opened. ATTACHMENT E Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 8525 Stoney Creek Lane SW Olympia, Washington 98512 www.AquaTerraCRC.com ©2024 Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants, Inc. All Rights Reserved This report is exempt from public distribution and disclosure (RCW 42.56.300) Cultural Resource Assessment for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington ATCRC Report # KI-04-23 March 12, 2024 Prepared For: GeoEngineers, Inc Prepared By: Colin Higashi, B.S.; Jennifer Chambers, M.S., RPA (editor); and, Sarah J. Amell, M.M.A., RPA (Principal Investigator) Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants i Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Regulatory ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Location and Description.................................................................................................... 2 Area of Potential Effects (APE) ...................................................................................................... 2 Correspondence............................................................................................................................... 6 Background Review ........................................................................................................................ 6 Environmental Setting ................................................................................................................ 6 Cultural Setting ........................................................................................................................... 9 Precontact ................................................................................................................................ 9 Ethnohistoric ......................................................................................................................... 11 Historic .................................................................................................................................. 11 Land Use History ...................................................................................................................... 14 WISAARD ................................................................................................................................ 16 Cultural Resources Studies ................................................................................................... 16 Archaeological Sites ............................................................................................................. 17 Registered Properties ............................................................................................................ 18 Properties .............................................................................................................................. 18 Cemeteries............................................................................................................................. 18 TCPs ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Predictive Model ................................................................................................................... 18 Objectives and Expectations ......................................................................................................... 19 Field Investigations ....................................................................................................................... 19 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 24 Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................................. 24 References ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Appendix A: Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP) ........................................................................... 31 Appendix B: Correspondence ....................................................................................................... 35 Appendix C: Shovel Probe Log .................................................................................................... 36 FIGURES Figure 1. Location of the APE on a portion of the United States Geological Survey ([USGS] 1995) Renton, Washington topographic map. ................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Satellite imagery detailing the location of the APE. ....................................................... 4 Figure 3. Project plans for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project (as provided by Geoengineers). .............................................................................................. 5 Figure 4. View of the northern approach of the APE from Talbot Road South, facing south...... 20 Figure 5. View of the APE from Talbot Road South, view southwest. ........................................ 21 Figure 6. View west into the APE showing the low floodplain on the left (south) and the higher terrace on the right (north), with Talbot Road S in the background. .................................... 21 Figure 7. View of downstream culvert outlet and pool, facing east. ............................................ 22 Figure 8. View of the upstream culvert inlet with the drainage ditch in the background, facing south. ..................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 9. Satellite imagery detailing the location of shovel probe testing within the APE. ......... 23 Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants ii Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 10. View of Renton Formation bedrock exposed along the south wall of the valley, facing southeast. ............................................................................................................................... 24 TABLES Table 1. Soils expected to be present within the APE (USDA NRCS 2024). ................................ 8 Table 2. Archival records reviewed to establish land use history. ................................................ 14 Table 3. Cultural resource studies previously conducted in, and within a one-mile radius of, the APE. ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Table 4. Archaeological sites previously recorded within a one-mile radius of the APE. ........... 17 Table 5. Properties previously recorded within a 0.25-mile radius of the APE. .......................... 18 Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 1 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Cultural Resource Assessment for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington INTRODUCTION On behalf of the City of Renton (The City), Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants (ATCRC) was contracted by Geoengineers, Inc. to provide a cultural resource assessment for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project located in Renton, King County, Washington. The project intends to replace an existing culvert conveying Panther Creek under Talbot Road South to improve fish passage and prevent failure of the crossing. The project is funded through King County Flood Control District and local funds, with permitting from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). ATCRC’s cultural resources assessment consisted of background review, field investigation, and production of this report. Background review determined that the Area of Potential Effects (APE) is located in a high probability area for cultural resource to be present; no historic properties have been previously recorded within the APE. Field investigation included pedestrian survey and shovel probe testing. No historic properties were identified in the APE. ATCRC recommends a finding of no historic properties affected. ATCRC also recommends that an Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP) be implemented during project construction; an exemplary IDP is provided in Appendix A. REGULATORY This project is subject to compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA, as amended, and its implementing regulations described in 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800. Section 106 requires that federal agencies account for the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. A historic property is typically aged 50 years or older and is defined in 36 CFR Part 800.16(l)(1) as follows: … any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) maintained by the Secretary of the Interior. This term includes artifacts, records, and remains that are related to and located within such properties. The term includes properties of traditional religious and cultural importance to an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization and that meet [… NRHP] criteria. The procedures under Section 106 require that the federal lead agency involved in the undertaking must identify the APE, conduct an inventory of historic properties that may be located within the APE, and determine whether any of the historic properties identified are eligible for listing in the NRHP. An APE is defined in 36 CFR 800.16(d) as follows: Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 2 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington … the geographic area or areas within which an undertaking may directly or indirectly cause alterations in the character or use of historic properties, if any such properties exist. The APE is influenced by the scale and nature of an undertaking and may be different for different kinds of effects caused by the undertaking. In addition, the State of Washington requires compliance with the cultural resources management laws and regulations under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 27.53 Archaeological Sites and Resources, RCW 27.44 Indian Graves and Records, and RCW 68.50.645 Skeletal Human Remains—Duty to Notify. The Archaeological Sites and Resources Act (RCW 27.53) prohibits knowingly disturbing archaeological sites without a permit from the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP). The Indian Graves and Records Act (RCW 27.44) prohibits knowingly disturbing Native American or historic graves. RCW 68.50.645 provides a strict process for notification of law enforcement and other interested parties in the event of discovering any human remains, regardless of inferred cultural affiliation. PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The project is located in Renton, King County, Washington on the right-of-way of Talbot Road South within Sections 30 and 31 of Township 23 North, Range 05 East (Figure 1 - Figure 2). The project area is sized 0.7 acre. The project intends to replace the existing culvert conveying Panther Creek under Talbot Road South to improve fish passage and prevent failure of the crossing structure. Project impacts include the excavation of the fill prism around Talbot Road South, which is up to nine meters (30 feet) thick and the realigning of the stream channel that will excavate three meters (10 feet). Previous site impacts include the small landslide on the steep slope between the medical center and Panther Creek on the southwest side of the culvert. AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS (APE) The APE for this project was defined by Geoengineers, Inc. based off of expected direct impacts and staging areas and approved by USACE. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 3 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 1. Location of the APE on a portion of the United States Geological Survey ([USGS] 1995) Renton, Washington topographic map. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 4 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 2. Satellite imagery detailing the location of the APE. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 5 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 3. Project plans for the Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project (as provided by Geoengineers). Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 6 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington CORRESPONDENCE Tribal consultation is a government-to-government function and, in this case, is the responsibility of the USACE. As a courtesy, ATCRC provided a technical notification to the historic preservation offices of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Tulalip Tribe, and the Suquamish Tribe to inform each that a cultural resource survey was planned and to request any potential technical information pertaining to the local landscape. A copy of this correspondence is provided in Appendix B. No response had been received by ATCRC at the time this report was prepared. BACKGROUND REVIEW Determining the probability for cultural resources to be located within the APE was based largely upon review and analysis of past environmental and cultural contexts and previous cultural resource studies and sites. Consulted sources included project files; local geologic data; archaeological, historic, and ethnographic records; selected published local historic records, and assessor’s records. Archaeological, historic, and ethnographic records were reviewed from the DAHP’s Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD) database. Environmental Setting The APE is located on Panther Creek at the edge of a glacial plain east of the Duwamish Valley in the Puget Lowland. The majority of surface geology in the Puget Lowland reflects the repeated glacial intervals of the Pleistocene, in which large continental ice sheets and smaller alpine glaciers flowed into the basin. These ice sheets scoured and redeposited materials over the course of 2.6 million years, leaving a layer of widespread but largely discontinuous glacial, fluvial, and marine deposits sometimes exceeding 100 meters in depth (Easterbrook 2003; Troost 2016). The most recent glaciation of the Puget Lowland was during the Vashon State of the Fraser Glaciation, between approximately 19 and 11 thousand years before present (YBP), when the Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) covered the northern and central regions of the basin in up to 1.8 kilometers of ice (Easterbrook 2003; Troost 2016). This period is responsible for many of the most prominent features of the modern Puget Lowland, including the split channels of Puget Sound, the region’s ubiquitous north-south ridgelines, its more limited plains, many of its lakes, and several of its larger river valleys, which were formed by glacial scour and deposition and subglacial or proglacial/ice-marginal meltwater runoff. The CIS reached its maximum Vashon extent, 25 kilometers south of Olympia, by around 16.9 thousand YBP before retreating northwards, allowing marine waters to enter the Puget Sound around 14.8 thousand YBP and rapidly disintegrating into a collection of floating bergs and stagnant, grounded ice (Easterbrook 1992, 2003; Thorson 1980; Troost 2016). Prior to the unblocking of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and connection of Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean (14.8 thousand YBP), meltwater was forced to pool in the southern basin to create large proglacial lakes within the channels of Puget Sound and partially abandoned river valleys, ultimately draining south through the ancestral Chehalis River. Subsequent glacial stades of the Fraser Glaciation contributed several beds of glaciomarine sediment to the regional stratigraphic record, but did not involve glacial intrusion into the lowlands (Easterbrook 1969, 1992; Thorson 1980). Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 7 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington The retreat of the CIS and contemporary alpine glaciers at the end of the Vashon Stade ended glacial landscape evolution in the Puget Lowland, but had long-term implications for the province that continued through the early Holocene. The loss of ice mass permitted isostatic rebound across the province, causing differential uplift roughly proportional to the thickness of the ice sheet (Thorson 1980, 1981). Uplift since the end of the Vashon Stade varies from near-zero at the southernmost extent of the CIS (near Black Lake in Olympia) to 140 meters near the Skagit River, and possibly up to 350 meters further north in Canada. The majority of isostatic recovery appears to have completed by 6 thousand YBP and the rate of associated uplift reduced to negligible levels, although accumulated stress from the uneven recovery likely contributes to ongoing seismic activity in the region (Thorson 1981). Simultaneously, the release of water previously impounded in ice sheets produced approximately 150 meters of eustatic sea level rise from the end of the Vashon Stade until approximately 7 thousand YBP, when sea levels stabilized (Lambeck et al. 2014; Thorson 1981). While an end-Pleistocene eustatic datum hasn’t been determined for the Puget Lowland, this rise combined with isostatic rebound to produce a complex pattern of terrestrial and marine deposits around Puget Sound and establish the baseline conditions for more localized Holocene evolutions (Easterbrook 1992; Thorson 1981). The Early Holocene was relatively calm, characterized mostly by fluvial incision of Vashon glacial deposits and steady progradation of nearby river deltas (Dragovich et al. 1994). At this point, the Duwamish Valley was an extension of Puget Sound: a deep estuary extending north from the Puyallup River Valley (at the time a similar estuary) and connecting Lake Washington and Puget Sound in the north. In the Middle Holocene, approximately 5,700 YBP, a large section of Mount Rainier (Tahoma) collapsed due to hydrothermal alteration of the rock into much weaker minerals such as clays, generating the Osceola Mudflow; this massive mudflow overwhelmed the rivers at the south end of the valley with 3.8 cubic kilometers of andesitic sediments, creating a large, flat depositional surface centered around modern-day Osceola and redirecting the White River 20 kilometers north towards Green River. The sediments from the Osceola Mudflow were gradually eroded and redeposited in the Puyallup and Duwamish Valleys, filling them and separating the drainages. Deposition progressed northward through the valley with additional sediments from at least three smaller lahars, and the river delta reached the Renton area between 2,000 and 2,500 YBP (Dragovich et al. 1994, Palmer 1997). A large earthquake on the Seattle Fault Zone around 1,100 YBP further raised the northern part of the valley. In the APE, Panther Creek drains Panther Lake, flowing across a hummocky plain of Vashon Stade glacial till and exhumed older deposits. Panther Creek has incised all the way through the glacial till deposits to local Renton Formation bedrock and is naturally entirely transport-limited; it begins aggrading approximately 400 feet downstream where it reaches the shallower slopes on the floor of the Duwamish Valley. The Renton Formation is composed primarily of fine-grained sedimentary rocks deposited in a deltaic setting during the Eocene or early Oligocene, and contains occasional seams of coal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Services ([USDA NRCS] 2023), soils in the APE are expected to be Alderwood gravelly sandy loam, with the potential for a small band of Indianola loamy sand at the extreme northern end of the APE near the intersection with South 38th Court (Table 1). Alderwood soils form from glacial drift on the shoulders of hills, and typically develop an 18-centimeter A Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 8 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington horizon of gravelly sandy loam over three B horizons of very gravelly sandy loam: an upper 36- centimeter weathered horizon, a middle 23-centimeter weathered horizon, and a lower 12- centimeter gleyed horizon. This transitions into undisturbed compact glacial deposits. Indianola soils form from sandy glacial outwash on terraces, kames, or eskers, and typically develop a thin O horizon over a 13-centimeter A horizon of loamy sand, a 28-centimeter upper weather B horizon of loamy sand, a 25-centimeter lower weathered B horizon of sand, and a 26-centimeter BC horizon of sand over undeveloped outwash deposits. Table 1. Soils expected to be present within the APE (USDA NRCS 2024). NAME SLOPE % LANDFORM PARENT MATERIAL TYPICAL PROFILE Alderwood gravelly sandy loam 8 to 15 Hills, ridges Glacial drift A – 0 to 18 cm: gravelly sandy loam Bw1 – 18 to 54 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Bw2 – 54 to 77 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Bg – 77 to 89 cm: very gravelly sandy loam 2Cd1 – 89 to 109 cm: very gravelly sandy loam 2Cd2 – 109 to 152 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Alderwood gravelly sandy loam 15 to 30 Hills, ridges Glacial drift A – 0 to 18 cm: gravelly sandy loam Bw1 – 18 to 54 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Bw2 – 54 to 77 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Bg – 77 to 89 cm: very gravelly sandy loam 2Cd1 – 89 to 109 cm: very gravelly sandy loam 2Cd2 – 109 to 152 cm: very gravelly sandy loam Indianola loamy sand 5 to 15 Terraces, kames, eskers Sandy glacial outwash Oi – 0 to 2 cm: slightly decomposed plant material A – 2 to 15 cm: loamy sand Bw1 – 15 to 43 cm: loamy sand Bw2 – 43 to 68 cm: sand BC – 68 to 94 cm: sand C – 94 to 152 cm: sand The APE is located in the Puget Sound Area of the Western Hemlock Zone of Washington (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). The Western Hemlock Zone is shielded from both maritime and continental air masses by the coastal and Cascade ranges to the west and east, being slightly drier than areas on the coast with more moderate temperature variations than in the continental interior. The Puget Sound section of the Western Hemlock Zone is within the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains, producing drier and warmer summers than in other areas of the lowlands and generally limiting annual rainfall to 800-900 millimeters instead of the 1500-3000 millimeters received elsewhere in the zone. More than 75% of this precipitation arrives as rain between October 1 and March 31, with long periods of little to no rainfall from June to August (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). While the Western Hemlock climate regime is generally neither temperature- nor precipitation- limited and produces the highest biomass accumulations recorded in global temperate zones, moisture stress during the summer months limits the growth of the hardwoods that dominate most other temperate regions, and mild winters favor the year-long growth patterns of coniferous species (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). This pattern produces a very unusual variation on the temperate regime that likely sustains a silvicultural balance initially established during the harsher conditions of the Pleistocene. Like most of the Western Hemlock Zone, forest compositions are dominated Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 9 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington by unusually large and long-lived conifers (particularly Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar) while younger forests and riparian areas are characterized by bigleaf maple, black cottonwood, red alder, and willow. Understories will generally transition from salmonberry (with a large variety of accompanying species) in young stands to a mixture of sword fern, red huckleberry, vine maple, Oregon grape, and salal. Unlike the more mesic regions of the Western Hemlock Zone, the Puget Sound Area is host to prairie ecosystems which were historically maintained by indigenous groups, and several more arid-loving pine and hardwood species that are rarely found elsewhere in the Western Hemlock Zone (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). Much of the Puget Sound area has been extensively cleared and logged since its initial settlement, often with extensive fires during the dry season, and is now covered by subclimax stands of Douglas-fir more than Western Hemlock (Franklin and Dyrness 1973). Human activities have introduced many invasive species to the region, including Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, common groundsel, knapweeds, European starlings, and house sparrows. Cultural Setting Precontact The precontact archaeological context of Puget Sound encompasses some of the earliest periods of human occupation in North America. The earliest documented settlement in the Puget Sound region begins around 14,000 YBP (Matson and Coupland 2009). During this period, humans were continually adapting to the region, which included a dynamic landscape of glacial retreat as well as climatic and environmental change (Matson and Coupland 2009). Between about 14,000 and 10,000 YBP, it has been hypothesized that there was a general continuity in the settlement, subsistence, and technologies. Archaeological evidence from this period indicates that human social groups were probably small, highly mobile, and reliant on seasonally available resources across the landscape (Ames and Maschner 1999; Matson and Coupland 2009). Archaeological sites from this period are often characterized by the presence of larger laurel-leaf shaped blades/projectile points and are part of a tradition that goes by many regional names. In the Puget Sound region, this period is often called the Cascade Phase and include localized material culture complex names like Olcott (Kidd 1964, Matson and Coupland 2009). In addition to laurel- leaf-shaped bifaces, other flaked stone tools, blade cores, and flaking debris are commonly found in association at Cascade sites (Carlson 1990, Miss and Campbell 1991, Morgan 1999). Most commonly, sites dating to this period, especially Olcott sites, are generally found in upland settings and on higher river terraces. The sites are likely resource procurement and processing camps focused on upland game and wild plant foods, but subsistence adaptations for this period are poorly understood. Although faunal remains for sites dating to this period are rare, mammalian and fish remains have been reported (Chatters et al. 2011). After about 5,000 YBP, archaeological evidence suggests that distinctive regional cultures developed with settlement and subsistence patterns that differ from those of the earlier adaptations in western Washington (Kopperl et al. 2016). Around this time, subsistence among Puget Sound groups becomes increasingly focused on marine resources, particularly shellfish and salmon, along with the exploitation of a broad spectrum of other intertidal and upland subsistence resources. Shell middens become more common during this period, and these sites provide some of the best insights Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 10 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington into shifting subsistence regimes. Settlement patterns appear to become more intensive in localized areas, indicating reduced residential mobility through time. New technologies are also present, among them ground stone tools and bone tools (Larson and Lewarch 1995, Ames and Maschner 1999, Matson and Coupland 2009). Western red cedar becomes a dominant tree in the region during this period, and wood-working adzes appear as early as 5,000 YBP, with evidence of canoe technology and construction of large plank houses by at least 2,000-3,000 years ago (Hebda and Matthews 1984, Donald 2003, Matson and Coupland 2009). With the rise in sea level during this period, earlier sites in coastal settings are likely to be submerged or have eroded (Larson and Lewarch 1995, Kopperl et al. 2016). Development of the Northwest Coast cultural pattern in the Puget lowlands (circa 3,500 to 1,500 YBP) is marked by a continued decrease in residential mobility and is accompanied by evidence of increased social complexity (e.g. Larson and Lewarch 1995). Most shell midden sites in Puget Sound date to this and, in part, to the preceding period (Taylor et al. 2011). Residential stability and logistic settlement patterns are in evidence during this period and seen by increases in lowland and upland limited activity procurement sites associated with spring and summer fishing and root- gathering areas as well as specialized base camps and permanent or semi-permanent winter villages (Kopperl et al. 2016). The latter is associated with distinct longer-term community groupings, especially in the form of large multifamily plank houses. Social stratification is seen in the archaeological record of the region, through differentiation in burial practices and wealth item distribution (Ames and Maschner 1999; Lewarch and Larson 1995). Also distinctive from the previous period is the marked degree of subsistence intensification, as shown by the presence of large-scale fish harvesting technologies (nets and weirs), large-scale storage of salmon, and winter storage of shellfish. Village sites are widely distributed in all coastal areas of Puget Sound (Nelson 1990, Ames and Maschner 1999, Matson and Coupland 2009). Fish weirs and other constructed features are often found in association with large village sites. Common artifact assemblages consist of a range of hunting, fishing, and food processing tools; bone and shell implements; and dense midden deposits. By the end of the period, wide similarities to ethnographically described contact-period cultures in the Puget Sound lowlands are evident (Ames and Maschner 1999, Matson and Coupland 2009). The continued enhancement of material culture and social complexity from that noted in the previous period is the defining characteristic of the Late Northwest Coast Culture (1,500 to 200 YBP) when Euro-American explorers arrived in the region (Nelson 1990, Ames and Maschner 1999, Matson and Coupland 2009). These include the widespread occupation of permanent and semi-permanent coastal villages, continued intensive procurement and storage of salmon and shellfish resources, and hereditary inequality throughout the coastal cultures of the Pacific Northwest, including the Puget Sound region. Village sites have been identified in the Puget Sound lowlands, typically located adjacent to or near river or marine transportation routes (Larson and Lewarch 1995, Ames and Maschner 1999). Common artifact assemblages consist of a range of hunting, fishing, and food processing tools, bone and shell implements, and midden deposits. This period is dominated by settlement along the coastlines and along streams and rivers, with far greater specialization of technology than the Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 11 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington preceding period. Trade goods become relatively abundant, indicating extensive trade networks up and down the coast as well as with inland plateau neighbors (Wessen 1985). As in the preceding period, salmon was among the primary food sources. Fish weirs and preserved netting dating to this period have also been found from this period. Ethnohistoric The APE is located in the traditional territory of the Duwamish (Duwamish Tribal Services 2018, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024, Suttles and Lane 1990). The Duwamish are a Coast Salish group that traditionally spoke a dialect of Southern Lushootseed, living around Lake Washington and along the Black and Duwamish Rivers (Haeberlin and Gunther 1930, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024, Ruby et al. 2010). They typically lived in villages of cedar plank houses located along major waterways or at the heads of bays or inlets during the winter, spending the warmer months moving between seasonal encampments to gather and process resources. Salmon has historically maintained significant cultural and economic significance for Coast Salish peoples; it was traditionally smoked or dried for the winter and provided the majority of food consumed and exchanged in that season (Ruby et al. 2010, Suttles and Lane 1990). Diets of inland groups were also supported by the terrestrial resources available from the surrounding forests or cultivated on prairies, such as mountain goats, deer, elk, camas, huckleberries, salal, and medicinal plants (Haeberlin and Gunther 1930). No Duwamish ethnographic villages have been previously documented in, or within one mile of, the APE (Hilbert et al. 2001). The closest previously recorded village sites were recorded around the old Black River and the southern tip of Lake Washington, two or more miles from the APE. These sites included TuxE’b-qo at the old confluence of the Black and Cedar Rivers, Sqoa’l-qo at the confluence of the Black and Green Rivers, and a very early contact-era site named Sba’badi’d at a bend in the Black River between the two other villages (Chatters 1981, Hilbert et al. 2001). Historic Historical period Euro-American exploration and settlement in the Puget Sound region begins in the 1600s with Spanish exploration along the western coast of North America, including Puget Sound. In response to Spanish exploration in the region’s western waters, English explorer Captain George Vancouver and his crew investigated Puget Sound in 1792. Vancouver sent Lieutenant Peter Puget and Master Joseph Whidbey on a six-day tour of the Sound in May. The pair named various landmarks, including Whidbey Island and Puget Sound itself, as well as, Mount Rainier and Hood Canal. The team then returned to Britain, where Vancouver began preparing a report of his findings; he died before it could be completed (Crowley 2003a). This was followed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1802 to 1804, which traveled to the mouth of the Columbia River to explore the lands purchased by the United States from France and the people who lived on them. During the early 1800s, the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), a partnership between the Bay Company and the Northwest Company, two rival fur trading operations in Canada and the United States, established fur trade posts in the Pacific Northwest (Crowley 2003b; Nisbet and Nisbet 2011). The HBC established its first foothold in today’s Washington State in 1825 when Chief Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 12 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Factor John McLoughlin moved his operation at Fort George north of the Columbia River to Fort Vancouver. From there Captain Vancouver oversaw expansion into the Puget Sound region, where his staff traveled, trapped, and traded with local tribes until they returned south to Fort Vancouver in the fall. There, the company accepted supplies from a London supply ship each fall and loaded up the empty hold with timber bound for Hawaii. When the ship returned from Hawaii, Captain Vancouver’s staff filled the hold with pelts bound for Great Britain (Crowley 2003b; Nisbet and Nisbet 2011). Competition from American fur traders increased during the 1830s. In 1833, McLoughlin sent Archibald McDonald to the Puget Sound to establish a new trading post and stockade, Fort Nisqually, at today’s DuPont, Washington. In 1840, Captain Vancouver established the Puget Sound Agricultural Company at Nisqually to provide crops and livestock to an increasing number of Russian American fur traders from Alaska (Crowley 2003b, Nisbet and Nisbet 2011). While farming at Fort Vancouver and Fort Nisqually, among other locations, HBC cultivated cattle, hogs, goats, apple trees, grapevines, potato patches, and other crop gardens. Fort Vancouver’s wheat harvest alone supplied the company throughout the Northwest (Rowe 2018). The HBC’s Fort Nisqually was the first non-native settlement in the Pacific Northwest, and it acted as a local hub, attracting traders, providing goods, and welcoming the first waves of Euro- American settlers. As early as 1841, Congress passed the Distributive Preemption Act, which recognized squatter’s rights and allowed settlers to buy up to 160 acres for $1.25 an acre after 14 months’ residence. In 1843, the provisional government in Oregon was offering 640-acre claims to new settlers, partly to assist the United States in establishing control of the region, which it shared with Great Britain. The United States and Great Britain settled their dispute over where to draw a boundary between the United States and Canada in 1846, settling on the 49th parallel and leaving Fort Nisqually and other HBC properties on lands owned by the United States government. The United States continued to encourage Euro-American settlement in the region, and waves of migrating Americans arrived. Soon, relationships between Euro-American settlers and native tribes deteriorated, and the fur trade worsened. Fort Vancouver closed in 1860, and Fort Nisqually in 1870 (Nisbet and Nisbet 2011). While the depletion of pelts, increased settlement, and worsening tribal relations spelled the end of the HBC in the Northwest, other broad trends in development began to shape the Puget Sound region. In 1849, gold was discovered in California, and settlers flowed west, either to hunt for gold or to supply those who did. Concurrently, in a succession of donation land acts, the United States government offered free or inexpensive land in Oregon Territory (which included today’s Washington State) to settlers who moved to the region and homesteaded. To protect newly arrived settlers in the wake of an attack on Fort Nisqually, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom in today’s Pierce County in 1849, which provided medical care and protection but also supported a local road-building program (Denfeld 2012). In 1850, Congress passed the Donation Land Claim Act, which offered 320 acres of federal land to white male adults who established residence on the property by December 1, 1851. If married, a couple could claim an additional 320 acres (Riddle 2010). Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 13 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington In 1853, Washington Territory was carved from Oregon Territory. While the Donation Land Claim Act was still in effect, the rules changed in 1854, and settlers in the Northwest had to purchase land for $1.25 an acre (Rowe 2018). The first settlers in the area were Henry Tobin and Dr. R.H. Bigelow, who staked adjacent claims along the Duwamish River in 1853 and 1854 (Stein 1999). Henry Tobin built a mill, and Dr. Bigelow discovered a coal seam on his property and started a mine. The mill and mine rapidly attracted workers and other settlers, and the expanding community rapidly began impinging on the Duwamish: the new arrivals brought with them agricultural and ranching practices that disrupted local ecosystems, and the proliferation of land claims quickly infringed on the tribe’s territory and lifestyle (Rowe 2018, Stein 1999). These impacts mirrored changes occurring across most of Washington Territory, and increasingly brought native groups into conflict with settlers and the United States government. In response to increasing tensions between native tribes and the settlers, Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens began negotiations with the Duwamish and other nearby groups. They signed the Treaty of Point Elliott on January 22, 1855, which removed Native Americans from the majority of their traditional territory and established the Port Madison, Swinomish, and Lummi reservations for their occupation, as well as guaranteeing limited rights to fish, hunt, forage, and otherwise collect resources on unoccupied land (Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024; Ruby and Brown 2010:226). The Duwamish were not federally recognized and primarily assigned to the Port Madison reservation along with the Suquamish and allied tribes, but many members chose to remain in their traditional territories until a separate reservation was created (Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024; Ruby and Brown 2010:226). The conditions of the treaties were quickly violated by Euro-American settlers, and several tribes revolted in the Puget Sound Indian and Yakama wars between 1855 and 1858. Conflict began in the eastern portion of the territory and quickly spread west to the Puget Sound area (Oldham 2022). During the conflict, the Tobin mill was burned and many of the settlers including Henry Tobin and Dr. Bigelow died or were driven away (Stein 1999). Governor Stevens ordered the construction of a series of blockhouses and forts around Lake Washington and the Duwamish Valley to protect settlers (Denfeld 2012, Rowe 2018). The closest was Fort Dent in Tukwila, at the confluence of the Black and Green Rivers (Denfeld 2012). The uprising was suppressed by the United States Army and the Treaty Wars were declared over on May 19, 1856 (Gatto 1964). With the end of the war, many groups including the Duwamish met with a United States delegation to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. The resulting revisions created the new Muckleshoot Reservation on Muckleshoot Prairie, between the White and Green Rivers, for groups culturally linked to more inland areas around the Puyallup and Duwamish Valleys (Ruby et al. 2010). The majority of the remaining Duwamish dispersed to either the Suquamish, Muckleshoot, or Tulalip Reservations (Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024). With the success of local agriculture, the availability of timber, and access to the rivers of the Puget Sound, settlers quickly returned to areas abandoned during the war and continued to spread across the region. Henry Tobin’s claim was taken over by his widow, Diana, and Erasmus Smithers, and they began rebuilding the community on a combined 500 acres of land (City of Renton 2024, Stein 1999). The passage of the 1862 Homestead Act granted 160 acres to individual United States citizens to further encourage non-native settlement, and the Timber and Stone Act of 1878 altered Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 14 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington the landscape of Washington by making lands “unfit for farming” accessible for sale at $2.50 per acre in 160 acre blocks, with an affidavit stating that the purchaser was acquiring the land for his use. The following year, the Supreme Court ruled that the purchaser had the right to sell the land following a period of ownership (144 U.S. 154). Diana and Erasmus platted the town of Renton in 1875 and it developed extremely rapidly, incorporating on September 6, 1901. Its location between the Cedar and Black Rivers on the shores of Lake Washington made it a perfect transportation hub for the areas south and east of Lake Washington, and the fertile soils of the valley were perfect for agriculture. By the end of the 19th century, it was connected to both the Seattle area road and rail networks and hosted multiple thriving industries including brick and tile plants, lumber mills, a cigar factory, and a glass-making facility (City of Renton 2024, Stein 1999). Following its incorporation, Renton devoted its efforts to expanding community services including municipal water and sewer, a fire department, churches, schools, a newspaper, and a bank. Additional manufacturing plants opened, notably Pacific Car and Foundry (now PACCAR), and the town’s residential areas expanded into the surrounding hills (City of Renton 2024, Stein 1999). The regional coal industry diminished and ultimately failed over the first half of the 20th century, and Renton leaned into its diversified manufacturing sector while also developing as a bedroom community for Seattle workers. Widespread flooding in 1911 led to a series of infrastructure projects to manage Lake Washington and the local rivers; the Cedar River was straightened and contained, and the Montlake Cut between Lake Washington and Lake Union was completed in 1916, causing the lake level to drop by nine feet and consequently erasing the head of the Black River (City of Renton 2024, Stein 1999). The Great Depression significantly slowed Renton’s growth, but its manufacturing sector was well-positioned for World War II and the town recovered with the expansion of Boeing and Pacific Car and Foundry to produce bombers and tanks (City of Renton 2024, Stein 1999). After the war, Renton continued to expand with new shopping centers and production of the new commercial jet airplanes. In 1965, Tukwila’s Southcenter Mall overtook downtown Renton as a commercial hub, and the city reorganized its business district into a large civic center. Today, Renton continues to support a large and diverse manufacturing sector as well as commercial areas and numerous surrounding suburban residential areas (City of Renton 2024). Land Use History To identify the land use history of the APE and surround, ATCRC reviewed archival records including, but not limited to, local histories, historic maps and photographs, municipal Assessor’s records, and newspapers (Table 2). Table 2. Archival records reviewed to establish land use history. DATE TITLE (SCALE) SOURCE INFORMATION 1865 General Lands Office: Township 23 North Range 05 East Plat Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (BLM GLO) -Panther Creek in roughly similar position with a deep valley upstream 1872 Serial Patent WAOAA 067989 BLM GLO Records (2024) -APE within Serial Patent awarded to John Christ, aliquots S½SE¼ of T23NR5E30 and N½NE¼ of T23NR5E31 Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 15 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington DATE TITLE (SCALE) SOURCE INFORMATION 1897 Tacoma, WA (1:125000) United States Geological Survey (USGS) -Road approximately follows modern-day Talbot Road South across Panther Creek, with a driveway leading along the north side of the valley to a building upstream. 1900 Tacoma, WA (1:125000) United States Geological Survey (USGS) -No changes to APE. 1936 Aerial Nationwide Environmental Title Research Online: Historic Aerials (NETROnline) -The APE is a road and surrounding forest, with cleared agricultural land to the southeast, southwest, and northwest. No sign of the previous homestead northeast of the APE. 1940 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE 1949 Renton, WA (1:24000) USGS -No changes to the APE 1964 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Development at the tops of the valley walls both north and south of Panther Creek, outside of the APE. 1968 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Construction of Valley Medical Center to the south. 1969 Renton, WA (1:24000) USGS -No changes to the APE 1977 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE 1980 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Expansion of medical center property 1981 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE 1983 Renton, WA (1:24000) USGS -No changes to the APE 1990 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Completed expansion of Valley Medical Center 1995 Renton, WA (1:24000) USGS -No changes to the APE 1998 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Partial redevelopment of medical center 2017 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE. Partial redevelopment of medical center 2021 Aerial NETROnline -No changes to the APE The earliest reviewed archive detailing the APE is the BLM GLO (1874) map of Township 23 North Range 05 East (Figure 5). At this time, Sections 30 and 31 are undeveloped and Panther Creek is in roughly its current location. The closest feature shown on the map is a trail, approximately 2.5 miles to the north, that runs from Seattle over the Cascade Mountains (BLM GLO 1865). The APE and surrounding land were granted to John Christ in 1872 as part of a homestead claim: Serial Patent WAOAA 067989. By 1897, a road had been built over Panther Creek in the approximate location of modern-day Talbot Road South in the APE, and homesteads had been established along both sides of this road. The closest was along the north side of the valley, with a driveway running along the wall of the valley to a building more than 100 meters upstream (USGS 1897). The earliest aerial photographs of the area show a forested valley with agricultural fields southeast, southwest, and northwest of the APE and dense forest northeast of the APE (NETROnline 1936, 1940). Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 16 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington No changes are noted near the APE until a 1964 aerial photograph and the 1969 revision of the 1949 topographic map, showing the development of residential neighborhoods along both sides of the valley and then the construction of the Valley Medical Center Building further south but no changes to the immediate APE (NETROnline 1964, 1968, 1969; USGS 1969). Development continues over the remainder of the 20th century, with an expansion and redevelopment of the medical center from the late 1970s to 2019, but the APE is not developed further (NETROnline 1977, 1980, 1981, 1990, 2021; USGS 1983, 1995). WISAARD DAHP’s WISAARD database was reviewed to identify cultural resource studies, archaeological sites, Registered Properties, properties, cemeteries, and traditional cultural places (TCPs) that have been previously recorded in, and within a one-mile radius of, the APE. Cultural Resources Studies According to WISAARD, the APE has not been previously surveyed for cultural resources and 10 cultural resource surveys have been previously conducted within a one-mile radius of the APE (Table 3). Table 3. Cultural resource studies previously conducted in, and within a one-mile radius of, the APE. NADB AUTHOR (DATE) TITLE FINDINGS DISTANCE FROM APE 1353702 Greene (2009) Archaeological Subsurface Testing on I-405/Thunder Hills Creek Mitigation, King County, Washington No cultural resources were recovered 0.19 mile 1343241 Forsman (2003) Carr Road Improvements (CIP #400898) Cultural Resources Assessment, King County, Washington West corridor- High Probability for 200-3000 y/o deposits, Central Corridor- Low-moderate probability 200-1400 y/o and historic agriculture operations East corridor- High probability 200-5000 y/o 0.22 mile 1346750 Bowden (2005) I-405 Renton Nickle improvement Project I-5 to SR 169 Cultural Resources Discipline Report 119 newly identified resources within APE old enough to be considered for NRHP 0.24 mile 1686391 Smith (2015) Cultural Resources Survey for the Washington State Department of Transportation’s I-405/SR 167 Direct Connector Project, King County, Washington No cultural resources were observed 0.25 mile Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 17 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington NADB AUTHOR (DATE) TITLE FINDINGS DISTANCE FROM APE 1352447 Bundy (2008) Interstate 405 Corridor Survey: Phase I Interstate 5 to State Route 169 Improvements Project. In the Green and Cedar River valleys, archaeological sites may still exist beneath modern disturbance. On hills and terraces, however, Holocene soils are thin. Shovel probes confirmed that in most of the hillside areas, Holocene soils have been removed. 0.29 mile 1684267 Mather (2012) Archaeological Survey and Assessment of the Proposed Fildbrook Commons Development Project (TPN# 292305-9022,29235-9023, and 292305-9168), Renton, King County Washington Dilapidated wood residence and Spring Brook Mine No. 3. 0.74 mile 1684930 Goodwin (2014) Memo to Benjamin White RE: Addendum to Records Search for the Proposed SD2391 Spring Glenn Shopping Center Telecommunications Facility, King County, Washington Technical Memorandum – Survey of Revised Utility Corridor No evidence of any archaeological resources was observed. 0.74 mile 1346742 Dejoseph (2005) I-405 Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat mitigation Bank Project Final Historic Cultural, and Archaeological, Discipline Report No historic properties in APE, possible deeply buried archaeological materials in Springbrook Bank APE 0.75 mile 1684715 Eubanks (2006) New Tower (“NT”) Submission Packet No historic Properties were identified within the APE 0.91 mile 1680175 Naumann (2010) Cultural Resources Report for the Upper Springbrook Creek Channel Realignment and Rehabilitation Project King County, Washington No cultural materials were observed 0.99 mile Archaeological Sites Four archaeological sites have been previously identified within a one-mile radius of the APE; none have been previously recorded as located in the APE (Table 4). The closest, 45KI1265, is the Spring Brook Mine No. 2 to the north of the APE. Due to proximity, 45KI1265 will not be impacted by this project. Table 4. Archaeological sites previously recorded within a one-mile radius of the APE. AUTHOR (DATE) SMITHSONIAN DESCRIPTION NRHP ELIGIBILITY DISTANCE FROM APE Arthur (2016) 45KI1265 Renton Mining Company, Inc Spring Brook Mine No. 2 No Statement of significance is provided 0.61 mile Mather (2012) 45KI1125 1936-1940 Historic Residential structure Potentially Eligible 0.87 mile Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 18 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington AUTHOR (DATE) SMITHSONIAN DESCRIPTION NRHP ELIGIBILITY DISTANCE FROM APE Mather (2012) 45K11126 Spring Brook Mine No. 3 Tailings Pile Potentially Eligible 0.94 mile Sampf (2005) 45K1730 1930s concrete basin or trough 1x5.5x1.5 meters. Potentially Eligible 0.99 mile Registered Properties No registered properties (i.e. properties that have been listed on the Washington Heritage Register [WHR], the Washington Heritage Barn Register [WHBR], or the NRHP) have been recorded in, or within a one-mile radius of, the APE. The closest is 45KI211, the Renton Coal Mine Hoist Foundation, located approximately 1.32 miles from the APE. Properties No properties (i.e. historic buildings and/or structures aged at least 50 years old) have been previously recorded in the APE and a total of nine have been previously recorded within a 0.25- mile radius (Table 5). Table 5. Properties previously recorded within a 0.25-mile radius of the APE. PROPERTY ID COMMON NAME ADDRESS NRHP ELIGIBILITY DISTANCE FROM APE 446920 Residence 500 S 38th Ct, Renton, Washington Not Evaluated 111 meters 476845 Residence 3710 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 157 meters 471706 Residence 3704 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Evaluated 157 meters 279705 Residence 3623 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 177 meters 723089 Residence 3620 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 205 meters 723093 Residence 3619 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 213 meters 362898 Residence 3614 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 221 meters 713737 Valley General Hospital 400 S 43rd St, Renton, Washington Not Evaluated 278 meters 722061 Medical Office Building 17820 Talbot Rd S, Renton, Washington Not Eligible 0.19 mile Cemeteries No cemeteries or burials have been recorded in, or within a one-mile radius of, the APE. TCPs No TCPs have been previously recorded in, or within a one-mile radius of, the APE. Predictive Model According to WISAARD, the APE is located in a high probability area for cultural resources to be present. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 19 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS The objective of this cultural resource assessment was to identify any in-situ cultural resources that may exist within the APE and, if so, to determine if the resources are significant and if the proposed project would affect such resources. Based on ATCRC’s background review of environmental and cultural contexts, previously recorded cultural resource studies and sites, and review of WISAARD, the APE is in an area of high potential for the presence of cultural resources however the majority of project impacts will take place within the fill prism of Talbot Road South, and the remainder of the APE is dominated by actively eroding landforms and bedrock surfaces, limiting the potential for preserved cultural resources. If precontact and/or ethnographic sites are present in the APE they might be represented by evidence of resource collection and processing, such as fire-cracked rock, lithic fragments, bones, and tools, or settlement features such as hearth features or middens. Historic period features that might be present in the APE are likely to reflect homesteading and resource exploitation activities, most prominently tools, machine parts, and modified trees from timber harvesting or coal mining operations and/or development of roadways. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS Field investigation for this project was completed by Colin Higashi (ATCRC Cultural Resource Specialist) and overseen by Sarah Amell (ATCRC Principal Investigator) on January 2, 2024, during cool and cloudy conditions. Field investigations involved pedestrian survey and subsurface testing. Pedestrian survey consisted of walking systematic transects along both the north and south sides of the APE noting vegetation, topography, access, hazards, and surficial materials while inspecting soil cuts and evidence of bioturbation for cultural materials. Subsurface testing consisted of manually excavating shovel probes (SP/SPs). SPs were excavated at 25 meter intervals and excavated to a depth that exposed glacial (therefore culturally sterile) deposits. All excavated deposits were screened through 0.25 inch hardware mesh. Notes, photographs and provenience were taken for each SP. Each SP was backfilled upon completion. The APE can be generally characterized as a transportation corridor passing over and through a very steep valley (Figure 4 - Figure 6). Talbot Road South traverses through the entire center of the APE and is paved in asphalt with a sidewalk to the west. The culvert runs roughly east-west under Talbot Road, with an approximately one meter drop from the outlet into a wide pool (Figure 7 - Figure 8). A ditch has been excavated along the edge of the road prism in the southeastern quadrant of the APE to direct water from a drain pipe to the creek. Vegetation surrounding the APE consisted largely of cedars, maples, blackberries, ivy, and sword ferns. Ground surface visibility varied from good to very poor at the time of survey; the northeastern quadrant of the APE is mostly clear with good visibility, but majority of the APE is heavily overgrown with blackberries and ivy. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 20 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington At total of two SPs were excavated across the APE (Figure 9). Typical soils observed included compact brown glacial till and loose gray-brown fine sand. Panther Creek has incised through the surrounding glacial till and into local bedrock: the modern banks expose intact mudstone both upstream and downstream of the culvert and the narrow floodplain consists of only thin layers of modern sand alluvium over bedrock (or, in some areas upstream of the culvert, a minimal layer of compact glacial material) (Figure 10). The remnants of a terrace occupies a 60+ meter section of the valley wall north of the creek, and consists of compact, gravelly glacial till. Natural exposures of native soil on the extremely steep walls of the valley do not reveal any significant variation in the composition or structure of the glacial deposits, and the morphology of the valley suggests ongoing erosion. Details for each SP are provided in Appendix C. Figure 4. View of the northern approach of the APE from Talbot Road South, facing south. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 21 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 5. View of the APE from Talbot Road South, view southwest. Figure 6. View west into the APE showing the low floodplain on the left (south) and the higher terrace on the right (north), with Talbot Road S in the background. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 22 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 7. View of downstream culvert outlet and pool, facing east. Figure 8. View of the upstream culvert inlet with the drainage ditch in the background, facing south. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 23 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 9. Satellite imagery detailing the location of shovel probe testing within the APE. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 24 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Figure 10. View of Renton Formation bedrock exposed along the south wall of the valley, facing southeast. RESULTS No cultural resources were identified in the APE. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ATCRC’s cultural resources assessment consisted of background review, field investigation, and production of this report. Background review determined that the APE is located in a high probability area for cultural resource to be present; no historic properties have been previously recorded within the APE. Field investigation included pedestrian survey and shovel probe testing. No historic properties were identified in the APE. ATCRC recommends a finding of no historic properties affected. ATCRC also recommends that an IDP be implemented during project construction; an exemplary IDP is provided in Appendix A. No cultural resources study can wholly eliminate uncertainty regarding the potential for prehistoric sites, historic properties, or TCPs associated with a project. The information presented in this report is based on professional opinions derived from our analysis and interpretation of available documents, records, literature, and information identified in this report and on our reconnaissance-level field investigation and observations as described herein. Conclusions and recommendations presented apply to project conditions existing at the time of our study and those reasonably foreseeable. The data, conclusions, and interpretations in this report should not be construed as a warranty of subsurface conditions described in this report. They cannot necessarily Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 25 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington apply to project changes of which ATCRC is not aware of and has not had the opportunity to evaluate. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 26 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington REFERENCES Ames, Kenneth M., and Herbert D. G. Maschner 1999 Peoples of the Northwest Coast: Their Archaeology and Prehistory. Thames & Hudson, London. Bureau of Land Management General Land Office (BLM GLO) 1865 Township 23 North Range 05 East Plat. 1874 Serial Patent WAOAA 067989. Carlson, Roy 1990 Cultural Antecedents. In Northwest Coast, edited by Wayne Suttles, pp. 60–69. Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 7, William C. Sturtevant, general editor. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Chatters, James C. 1981 Archaeology of the Sbabadid Site 45KI51, King County, Washington. University of Washington, Office of Public Archaeology/Institute for Environmental Studies, Seattle. Chatters, James C., Jason B. Cooper, Philippe D. LeTourneau, and Lara C. Rooke 2011 Understanding Olcott: Data Recovery at 45SN28 and 45SN303 Snohomish County, Washington. Report prepared by AMEC Earth & Environmental for Granite Falls Alternate Route Project, Department of Public Works, Snohomish County, Washington. City of Renton 2024 City History. Electronic Resource, https://www.rentonwa.gov/city_hall/parks_and_recreation/museum/city_history, accessed January 2024. Crowley, Walt 2003a George Vancouver Begins British Survey of Puget Sound on May 19, 1792. HistoryLink.org essay 5230. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/5230, accessed December 2023. 2003b Hudson's Bay Company Establishes Fort Nisqually, First Non-Native Settlement on Puget Sound, in April 1833. HistoryLink.org essay 5231. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/5231, accessed December 2023. Denfeld, Duane 2012 Forts of Washington Territory, Indian War Era, 1855-1856. HistoryLink.org essay 10087. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/file/10087, accessed January 2024. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 27 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Donald, Leland 2003 The Northwest Coast as a Study Area: Natural, Prehistoric, and Ethnographic Issues. In Emerging from the Mist: Studies in Northwest Coast Culture History, edited by R. G. Matson, Gary Coupland, and Quentin Mackie, pp. 289–327, UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia. Dragovich, Joe D., Patrick T. Pringle, and Timothy W. Walsh 1994 Extent and Geometry of the Gid-Holocene Osceola Mudflow in the Puget Lowland -- Implications for Holocene Sedimentation and Paleogeography. Washington Geology 22(3): 3-26. Duwamish Tribal Services 2018 History of the Duwamish People. Electronic resource, https://www.duwamishtribe.org/history, accessed January 2024. Easterbrook, Don J. 1969 Pleistocene Chronology of the Puget Lowland and San Juan Islands, Washington. GSA Bulletin 80(11): 2273-2286. 1992 Advance and Retreat of Cordilleran Ice Sheets in Washington, U.S.A. Geographic physique et Quaternaire 46(1): 51-68. 2003 Cordilleran Ice Sheet Glaciation of the Puget Lowland and Columbia Plateau and Alpine Glaciation of the North Cascade Range, Washington. In Western Cordillera and Adjacent Areas, ed. T. W. Swanson, pp. 137-157. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado. Franklin, J. F. and C.T. Dyrness 1973 Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington. Forest Service General Technical Report. PNW-8, United States Department of Agriculture. Gatto, J. E. 1964 Connell Prairie Vicinity Steeped in History, Area Near Buckley Site of Indian War. Tacoma Sunday Ledger February 23. Haeberlin, Herman, and Erna Gunther 1930 The Indians of Puget Sound. University of Washington Publications in Anthropology No. 4(1):1-83. Hebda, R.J., and R.W. Matthews 1984 Holocene History of Cedar and Native Indian Cultures of the North American Pacific Coast. Science 225:711–713. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 28 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Hilbert, Vi, Jay Miller, and Zalmai Zahir 2001 sda?da? gweł dibeł lešucid ?acaciłtalbixw Puget Sound Geography. Vi Hilbert, Jay Miller, and Zalmai Zahir, contributing editors. Lushootseed Press: Federal Way. Kidd, Robert S. 1964 A Synthesis of Western Washington Prehistory from the Perspective of Three Occupational Sites. Master's thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle. Kopperl, Robert, C. Hodges, C. Miss, J. Shea, and A. Spooner 2016 Archaeology of King County, Washington: A Context Statement for Native American Archaeological Resources. Prepared for the King County Historic Preservation Program, Seattle. Lambeck, Kurt, Hélène Rouby, Anthony Purcell, Yiying Sun, and Malcolm Sambridge 2014 Sea Level and Global Ice Volumes from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111(43): 15296-15303. Larson, L.L., and D.E. Lewarch 1995 The Archaeology of West Point, Seattle, Washington: 4,000 Years of Hunter-fisher- gatherer Land Use in Southern Puget Sound. Report on file, DAHP, Olympia Washington. Matson, R. G., and Gary Coupland 2009 The Prehistory of the Northwest Coast. Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek, California. Miss, Christian and Sarah Campbell 1991 Prehistoric Cultural Resources of Snohomish County, Washington. Washington State Department of Community Development, Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Olympia. Morgan, Vera E. (editor) 1999 The SR-101 Sequim Bypass Archaeological Project: Mid- to Late-Holocene Occupations on the Northern Olympic Peninsula, Clallam County, Washington. Reports in Archaeology and History 100–108. Archaeological and Historical Services, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington. Prepared for Washington Department of Transportation, Olympia. Muckleshoot Indian Tribe 2024 Muckleshoot History. Electronic resource, https://www.muckleshoot.nsn.us/history, accessed January 2024. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 29 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Nelson, C. M. 1990 Prehistory of the Puget Sound Region. In Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 7: Northwest Coast, edited by W. Suttles, pp. 481-484. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Nisbet, Jack and Claire Nisbet 2011 Hudson's Bay Company. HistoryLink.org Essay 9881. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/9881, accessed December 2023. Oldham, Kit 2022 South Puget Sound Tribes Sign Treaty of Medicine Creek on December 26, 1854. HistoryLink.org Essay 5254. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/5254, accessed December 2023. Palmer, Stephen P. 1997 Holocene Geologic History and Sedimentology of the Duwamish and Puyallup Valleys, Washington. Washington Geological Survey. Submitted to the United States Geological Survey, Requisition No. 96-7440-4455. Copies available from Washington Geological Survey, Olympia. Riddle, Margaret 2010 Donation Land Claim Act, Spur to American Settlement of Oregon Territory, Takes Effect on September 27, 1850. HistoryLink.org Essay 9501. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/9501, accessed December 2023. Rowe, Kara 2018 Agriculture in Washington 1792 to 1900. HistoryLink.org essay 20523. Electronic resource, https://www.historylink.org/File/20523, accessed December 2023. Ruby, Robert H. and John A Brown 2010 [1992, 1986] A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. Stein, Alan J 1999 Renton – Thumbnail History. HistoryLink.org Essay 688. Electronic Resource, https://www.historylink.org/file/688, accessed January 2024. Suttles, W., and B. Lane 1990 Southern Coast Salish. In Northwest Coast, edited by Wayne Suttles, pp. 485–502. Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 7, W. C. Sturtevant, general editor. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Taylor, Amanda K., Julie K. Stein, and Stephanie A. E. Jolivette 2011 Big Sites, Small Sites, and Coastal Settlement Patterns in the San Juan Islands, Washington. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 6(2):287–313. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 30 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Thorson, Robert M. 1980 Ice-Sheet Glaciation of the Puget Lowland, Washington, During the Vashon Stade (late Pleistocene). Quaternary Research 13(3): 303-321. 1981 Isostatic Effects of the Last Glaciation in the Puget Lowland, Washington. Open File Report 81-370. United States Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado. Troost, Kathy 2016 Chronology, Lithology and Paleoenvironmental Interpretations of the Penultimate Ice- Sheet. PhD dissertation, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) 2023 Web Soil Survey. Electronic resource, http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/appHomePage.htm, accessed January 2024. United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1897 Tacoma, Washington quadrangle. 1:125000 scale topographic map. 1995 Renton, Washington quadrangle. 1:24,000 scale topographic map. Wessen, Gary C. 1985 Archaeological site survey in coastal and near-coastal areas of Western Washington, in Archaeological Inventory and Predictive Modelling in the Pacific Northwest, Studies in Cultural Resource Management no. 6, United States Department of Agriculture, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 31 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington APPENDIX A: INADVERTENT DISCOVERY PLAN (IDP) The following Inadvertent Discovery Plan (IDP) outlines the procedures to be implemented, in accordance with state and federal laws, if NRHP potentially-eligible and ineligible cultural resource materials are inadvertently discovered during construction. The separate protocol for discovery of human skeletal remains is also described below. 1. RECOGNIZING CULTURAL RESOURCES A cultural resource is an item of historical, traditional, or cultural importance. The item could be prehistoric or historic. Examples might include: • A multi-species accumulation of shell (shell-midden) with associated bone, stone, antler or wood artifacts, burned rocks or charcoal. • Bones that appear to be human or animal bones associated with a shell-midden (i.e. with associated artifacts or cooking features). • An area of charcoal or very dark stained soil with associated artifacts. • Artifacts made of chipped or ground stone (i.e. an arrowhead, adze or maul) or an accumulation (more than one) of cryptocrystalline stone flakes (lithic debitage). • Basketry, cedar garments, fish weir stakes or items made of botanical materials. • Clusters of tin cans or bottles, logging or agricultural equipment that appear to be older than 50 years. • Buried railroad tracks, decking, or other industrial materials. Not all cultural resource material encountered will be potentially-eligible for listing on the NRHP. To be eligible for the NRHP cultural resources identified during construction must be 50 years of age or older, meet one or more of the four criteria listed below, and retain sufficient physical integrity to convey historical significance (36 CFR 60.4). A building, site, object, or structure may be considered for inclusion in the NRHP if it meets at least one of the following criteria: 1. The property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. 2. The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. 3. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components might lack individual distinction. 4. The property has yielded, or might be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. The following archaeological resources will indicate potentially NRHP-eligible deposits and will be assumed NRHP-eligible until determined otherwise by the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO): Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 32 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington • Precontact deposits (such as midden deposits) associated with Native American use or occupation. • Historic era non-Native American artifacts from NRHP-eligible (or potentially NRHP eligible) deposits (native soil or surfaces that were stable and exposed either between fill episodes, or after the conclusion of historic filling). • Historic features consisting of stratified deposits with artifact concentrations that appear to be spatially or temporally distinct. This includes refuse deposits, privies, or other discrete accumulations. • Courses of brick or other architectural materials that are part of a building foundation or pavement in their original position. • Historic era non-Native American artifacts from non-eligible contexts, only if they are diagnostic or have educational value. Examples of deposits that will not be considered NRHP eligible include: • Isolated or loose construction materials (brick, mortar, window glass), bottles, cans, located within fill sediments (not located in primary context). • Mass deposits of lumber, concrete, granite, coal, etc. • Pilings, decking, trestle, and railroad track, unless of clearly unusual construction. • Historic-era artifacts not associated with a feature or stable surface. Artifacts or deposits that are not potentially eligible, as described above, will be noted in daily field logs, photographed and documented on scaled site plans if possible. The protocol for Inadvertent Discovery, including the stop-work clause noted in the procedure below will not be implemented for artifacts or deposits that are not potentially eligible for listing in the NRHP. 2. ON-SITE RESPONSIBILITIES STEP 1: STOP WORK If any contractor or subcontractor believes that he or she has uncovered any cultural resource during construction of the project, all work adjacent to the discovery must stop. The discovery location should not be left unsecured at any time. Cultural resources encountered during an archaeological survey are intentional discoveries and are not covered under this plan. STEP 2: NOTIFY DAHP Rob Whitlam, Ph.D. DAHP, State Archaeologist Rob.Whitlam@dahp.wa.gov (360) 586-3080 (360) 890-2615 The DAHP will review the eligibility criteria above, make a recommendation to the artifact or deposits potential eligibility, and will proceed with agency and tribal notification as necessary (so Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 33 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington long as the artifact or deposit is determined eligible). After consultation, DAHP will complete a written plan of action describing the disposition of cultural resources pursuant to 43 CFR Part 10 and will execute their prescribed duties within that plan of action. 3. PROTOCOL FOR DISCOVERY OF HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS In the event that human remains are discovered during the construction, the following procedures are to be followed to ensure compliance with RCW 68.60: Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries and Historic Graves, and RCW 27.44: Indian Graves and Records. Washington State law requires immediate notification of known or suspected human remains to county and/or municipal law enforcement agencies, county medical examiner or coroner’s offices, DAHP, and federal and local agencies involved directly with the project or having jurisdiction over the subject properties. If ground-disturbing activities encounter human skeletal remains during construction, then all activity that may cause further disturbance to those remains must immediately cease and the area of the find must be secured and protected from further disturbance. Any human remains that are discovered will be treated with dignity and respect. The remains should not be touched, moved, or further disturbed. If, however, handling of human remains is unavoidable, the archaeological monitor and/or professional archaeologist will use cloth gloves. All remains will remain covered with a tarpaulin that will not be removed until such time that the coroner assumes jurisdiction of the find. The finding of human skeletal remains must be reported to the County Medical Examiner / Coroner in the most expeditious manner possible. The County Medical Examiner / Coroner will determine if the remains are human and whether the discovery constitutes a crime scene. If the remains are determined to not be a crime scene, the County Medical Examiner / Coroner will notify DAHP. The DAHP will be responsible for informing the affiliated tribes regarding the discovery. Contact information for the County Medical Examiner / Coroner and the DAHP is provided below. CONTACT INFORMATION IF HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS ARE DISCOVERED Andrew Seidel, State Forensic Anthropologist King County Medical Examiner’s Office 206-731-3232 Guy Tasa, State Physical Anthropologist Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation 360-586-3534 4. PROCEEDING WITH CONSTRUCTION Project construction outside the discovery location may continue while documentation and assessment of the cultural resources proceed. A Cultural Resources Specialist (either from DAHP, a consulting Tribe, or a professional consultant) must determine the boundaries of the discovery location. In consultation with DAHP and affected tribes, the project lead will determine the appropriate level of documentation and treatment of the resource. If federal agencies are involved, the agencies will make the final determinations about treatment and documentation. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 34 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington Construction may continue at the discovery location only after the process outlined in this plan is followed, and DAHP (and the federal agencies, if any) determine that compliance with state and federal laws is complete. Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 35 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington APPENDIX B: CORRESPONDENCE Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants 36 Panther Creek at Talbot Road South Culvert Replacement Project Renton, King County, Washington APPENDIX C: SHOVEL PROBE LOG SHOVEL PROBE DEPTH (CM) DESCRIPTION INCLUSIONS/ NOTES TERMINATION SP1 0-10 Compact beige glacial till: mixed clay, silt, and sand with abundant subrounded to subangular gravel and cobbles Refusal on compact, rocky glacial SP2 0-40 Loose light brown fine sand with abundant tree and ivy roots Refusal on compact, rocky glacial 40-45 Compact beige glacial till: mixed clay, silt, and sand with abundant subrounded to subangular gravel and cobbles